Cleveland renames stretch of Shaker Blvd for legendary boxing promoter Don King

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A quarter-mile stretch of Shaker Boulevard soon will bear the honorary designation of "Don King Way," after the legendary and often controversial boxing promoter, who was born and raised in Cleveland and launched his career here.

City Council on Monday voted to adopt the secondary name for the eastbound portion of the road between East 116th and East 121st streets. The stretch is home to the Call & Post newspaper, which King has owned since 1998.

Councilwoman Mamie Mitchell, who sponsored the legislation, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

But Councilman Zack Reed said in an interview that he counts King among the most influential and heroic Clevelanders ever to make it big. Reed said King has never forgotten his roots, despite having become, arguably, the biggest fight promoter in the world. And King gives back to his hometown regularly, through charitable donations, Reed said.

"He is always uplifting people of color. Always," Reed said of King, who received the NAACP's President's Award in 1997. "He went from Mt. Pleasant to the pinnacle of the world, and he has never forgotten where he came from. That's what makes him a hero."

The councilman said he hopes a football stadium soon will be built behind John Adams High School and will bear King's name as well, paying homage to one of the school's most celebrated alumni.

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